The drive from Forest City, PA to Reading, PA covers 127.9 miles and takes about 2h 42m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on American Legion Memorial Highway, Governor Robert P. Casey Highway, Center Avenue for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 62 miles on American Legion Memorial Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $21.20 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
64 miles from Forest City, PA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 21m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 42m. Total distance: 127.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 2h 42m drive with frequent turns across 127.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 31 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
American Legion Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 62 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 5.7 miles in near Canaan Street.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 127.9 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.7 miles (Canaan Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.9 miles (US 6 BUS / Roosevelt Highway): Navigation decision point; at 22.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
5.7 mi into trip|~9m in|Canaan Street
At end of road, turn right onto Canaan Street
Navigation decision point
5
5.9 mi into trip|~10m in|US 6 BUS / Roosevelt Highway
At end of road, turn left onto US 6 BUS / Roosevelt Highway
Navigation decision point
7
22.2 mi into trip|~30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 81 South: Wilkes-Barre
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 81 South: Wilkes-Barre
8
85.9 mi into trip|~1h 47m in|PA 61 / Skyline Drive
Turn uturn onto PA 61 / Skyline Drive
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
127.7 mi into trip|~2h 41m in|South 6th Street
Turn left onto South 6th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
American Legion Memorial Highway
62 mi
1h 12m
Governor Robert P. Casey Highway
15.4 mi
18m
Center Avenue
10.6 mi
12m
Pottsville Pike
10.2 mi
12m
South Main Street
5.1 mi
8m
Skyline Drive
4.4 mi
5m
Centre Street
4.2 mi
5m
Route 61 South
3 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
American Legion Memorial Highway
— 62 mi, about 1h 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Forest City, PA and Reading, PA.
1
Start on PA 247
126 ft·7 sec·Dundaff Street
2
Turn right onto PA 171; PA 247
5.1 mi·8 min·South Main Street
3
Turn left onto Reservoir Street
0.5 mi·1 min·Reservoir Street
4
Continue on Morse Avenue
0.1 mi·17 sec·Morse Avenue
5
At end of road, turn right onto Canaan Street
0.2 mi·38 sec·Canaan Street
6
At end of road, turn left onto US 6 BUS
0.9 mi·2 min·Roosevelt Highway
7
Turn right onto US 6
15 mi·18 min·Governor Robert P. Casey Highway
Use the straight lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
1.2 mi·2 min
Toward I 81 South: Wilkes-BarreUse the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto I 81
62 mi·1 hr 12 min·American Legion Memorial Highway
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi·1 min
Exit 124BToward PA 61 North: Frackville
11
Turn straight onto PA 61
500 ft·13 sec·Skyline Drive
12
Turn uturn onto PA 61
4.3 mi·5 min·Skyline Drive
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on PA 61
1.1 mi·1 min·Joseph H. Long Boulevard
14
Continue on PA 61
1.0 mi·1 min·Pottsville Saint Clair Highway
15
Continue on PA 61
1.6 mi·2 min·North Claude A. Lord Boulevard
16
Continue on PA 61
0.2 mi·14 sec·Pottsville Boulevard
17
Continue on PA 61
3.0 mi·3 min·Route 61 South
18
Continue on PA 61
11 mi·12 min·Center Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Continue on PA 61
4.2 mi·5 min·Centre Street
20
Continue on PA 61
0.3 mi·17 sec·South 4th Street
21
Continue on PA 61
2.3 mi·2 min·Pottsville Pike
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Continue on PA 61
0.6 mi·43 sec·Shoemaker Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
23
Continue on PA 61
3.2 mi·3 min·Pottsville Pike
Use the straight / right lanes.
24
Continue on PA 61
1.0 mi·1 min·North Centre Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
25
Continue on PA 61
4.7 mi·6 min·Pottsville Pike
Use the straight lane.
26
Continue on PA 61
2.8 mi·4 min·Centre Avenue
Use the straight lane.
27
Continue on PA 61
0.8 mi·1 min·North 4th Street
28
Turn left onto US 422 Business
0.2 mi·27 sec·Franklin Street
29
Turn left onto South 6th Street
0.1 mi·24 sec·South 6th Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
30
Turn left onto US 422 Business Alternate
278 ft·4 sec·Penn Street
31
Arrive at destination
US 422 Business Alternate
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 64 miles from Forest City, PA, or about 1h 21m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 62 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 28 miles or 38m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 64 miles or 1h 21m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 10m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Reading, PA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Forest City, PA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Forest City, PA
This is one driving day of about 127.9 miles and 2h 42m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 28 miles from Forest City, PA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on American Legion Memorial Highway for about 62 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 64 mi from Forest City, PA
· 1h 21m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by p...
21 mi from route
~51 min detour
Free
near mile 97
Park Closure: List of trail closures post-Hurricane Helene
Caution: Black Bears Frequenting the McAfee Knob Area in Virginia
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$21.20 one way
$42.41 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg45 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$23.22
$46.45
premium
$4.93
$24.80
$49.61
diesel
$5.61
$28.24
$56.48
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 44.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
38.4
0
$13.43
$6.14
Efficient EV
32
0
$11.19
$5.12
EV Truck/SUV
51.2
0
$17.91
$8.19
Gas CO2
45 kg
EV CO2
15 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Apr 14, 2026
Origin
Forest City, PA
Morning
in Forest City on Saturday
Local time
11:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Reading, PA
Morning
in Reading on Saturday
Local time
11:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
W 5 mph36% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 14 at 12:23AM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 13 at 11:55PM EDT by NWS Cleveland OH
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
19 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 42m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Forest City, PA to Reading, PA covers 127.9 miles and takes about 2h 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are American Legion Memorial Highway, Governor Robert P. Casey Highway, Center Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 64 miles from Forest City, PA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $21.20 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 127.9 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 5.7 miles (Canaan Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.9 miles (US 6 BUS / Roosevelt Highway): Navigation decision point; at 22.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Forest City, PA to Reading, PA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
